


Got Me Wishing on a Shooting Star

by littletrinkets



Series: Happily Ever After [2]
Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, disneyland au, here it is!! i'm so excited you guys, this can be read as a standalone fic but i think you should check out the first fic anyway, winkwink nudgenudge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:22:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28505910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littletrinkets/pseuds/littletrinkets
Summary: On the fourth date, Lio starts to panic.“I think you have commitment issues,” says Meis. He takes a sip of his café latte, which Liopaid for, and Lio is overcome with the urge to slap his drink off his hand. Violently.Settling into happily ever after isn't so easy when you've got some emotional baggage to unpack.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Series: Happily Ever After [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2088069
Comments: 5
Kudos: 52





	Got Me Wishing on a Shooting Star

**Author's Note:**

> me: hey i've got some time, why don't we continue that galolio disneyland au! add some fluff to it! yeah!!  
> also me: *DRIFTING CAR MEME SWERVING STRAIGHT TO GALOLIO ANGST*
> 
> though this is more hurt/comfort, at least
> 
> (not beta'd, but what's new am i right)

On the fourth date, Lio starts to panic.

It wasn’t that it was _bad_ , per se. In fact, the night had ended perfectly, and so did the dates before that. Lio would have even come home with Galo – had prepared for it, actually – but he took one look at Galo, saw the stars in the other man’s eyes, and booked it.

It’s been three days since then and Lio still feels bad. Perhaps it would have been fine if the dates were dull as fuck or if Galo had turned out to be a huge asshole, but it was the complete opposite – the dates were wonderful, and Galo had been nothing but a gentleman. Even after Lio abruptly left that night, Galo had still continued to text, even apologized first (for _pushing Lio_ , of all things, like Lio wasn’t ready to sit on his dick). He still talked to Lio like Lio wasn’t a major gay loser, still continued to be funny and kind and understanding and…

And that’s the problem, isn’t it?

“I think you have commitment issues,” says Meis. He takes a sip of his café latte, which Lio _paid for_ , and Lio is overcome with the urge to slap his drink off his hand. Violently.

“Boss, he sounds like a great guy?” Thankfully, Gueira cuts in before Lio can contemplate that thought. Wouldn’t do to cause a scene in their favorite café, after all. “I don’t get it. What about this had you shouting at us at the asscrack of dawn for an impromptu meeting?”

“I WASN’T SHOUTING,” Lio says, still not shouting. Meis and Gueira wince.

Clearing his throat, Lio tries again in his inside voice. “I wasn’t shouting,” he repeats, “I just needed your expert opinions on my…unfortunate situation.”

“You got mine.” Meis pauses for added effect. “Commitment issues.”

“I just needed Gueira’s expert opinion on my unfortunate situation.”

“Nah, Boss, I think Meis is onto something here.” God, didn’t Lio say that he was going to fire these fuckers’ asses weeks ago? What the fuck happened to _that_ plan? “What’s wrong with Galo anyway? He seemed alright when we first met him. Was he a bad lay?”

“We haven’t had sex yet.”

Meis whistles. “Damn, and you’ve already been on four dates?”

Lio squints at them, peeved. “I don’t sleep around with just anyone, you know.”

“We’re not saying you do!” Gueira interrupts their stare down, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. “And even if you did, we’re not ones to judge. But think about it: you’re not exactly a prude _and_ you’ve gone on four whole dates with this guy. Doesn’t this seem weird to you?”

“Unless he’s not interested in you that way,” quips Meis. “Did he ignore all the signals you sent him?”

A memory from three days ago rises unbidden in Lio’s mind – Galo, face so red that steam could shoot out of his ears, as he fumbles with his words in an effort to extend their goodbyes to tomorrow morning. Lio’s ears start to feel warm. “No, not really.”

“Well then, there we go.” Putting down his cup, Meis steeples his fingers and levels Lio with a look. “I’d suspect incompatibility, but that’s off the table. So it’s obviously something else.”

 _Commitment issues_ , Lio’s mind supplies.

“No,” he says instead. “Whatever you’re thinking, it's wrong.”

The ensuing silence is made even heavier by the looks Meis and Gueira are giving him. It’s a testament to their years of friendship how they always manage to see through Lio’s carefully constructed façade, which is simultaneously a sigh of relief and too much to bear. Right now though, Lio feels cornered, so he falls back to his tried-and-true strategy: running away.

(Never mind that running away was what exactly got him into this predicament in the first place.)

Lio places his hands palms down on the table, solid in his stance even as he ignores twin gazes, and rises from his chair. “We’ve got work in ten minutes—”

“Lio.” The tone of Meis’ voice is a vice-like grip, keeping Lio steady and anchoring him in place at the same time. “No matter what, we’re on your side.”

“Yeah, Boss. If you decide Galo isn’t worth your time, then we’re all for you dumping his ass.”

“By all means, kick him to the curb if you want," says Meis. "I’ll put this out there though – Galo seems like a decent guy who genuinely likes you, which is loads better than that line of a shit stain you call your exes. It would be unfair to the both of you if you didn’t at least try to sort this out.”

Head down, Lio crumples up his napkin, then unfolds it again. His breath leaves his lips in a shaky sigh. “Yeah…yeah. You’re right. I’ll talk to him." Another pause. "Thanks, guys.”

The silence is broken by Meis' snort. “Save your thanks, I want another café latte for my services.”

“Oh! An iced mocha for me too!”

Tension gone in a snap, the air is instead replaced by Lio’s easy laughter. “You fucking assholes.”

* * *

It takes Lio two weeks to work up the courage to talk to Galo. Truthfully, it would have taken him at least three, if it weren’t for Galo strolling into his office like he owns the place.

“Galo, what a surprise.”

“Hey Lio!” Galo’s grin is still as incandescent as ever, and it pulls the corners of Lio’s lips up as well, even as his stomach falls to the floor. “I texted you that I’d come pick you up, I guess you didn’t see it?”

“I didn’t. I was distracted with work, sorry.” Actually, Lio was avoiding all contact with him since he was consumed with worries on how to bring up the topic of his insecurities, but. Galo didn’t need to know that.

Galo scratches the back of his head, chin downturned. “You’ve been pretty busy with work lately, huh?” Lio sees the flicker that threatens to snuff Galo out, and his resolve cracks.

“Government funding has been harder to come by for our projects, especially after the new governor came into power. I’m sorry.” The apology feels cheap, so he adds, “You’ve come at the right time though. I was wrapping up my work and am about ready to leave.”

That perks Galo up. _Like a puppy_ , Lio thinks as he’s hit with inexplicable fondness to compliment his dread – a bullet straight for his heart, he never had a chance.

“Really?”

Lio eyes the mountain of paperwork neatly piled up at the corner of his desk. “Really.” This is what he hired Meis and Gueira for, anyway.

“ _Yesss_ ,” Galo does a little wiggle and fist bump in place then excitedly looks to Lio. “Let’s go out for dinner tonight too, my treat! Go to that hole-in-the-wall restaurant that serves your favorite spicy beef noodles.”

 _I'm done for_. “Yes. Absolutely.”

All in all, it’s a fairly uneventful dinner. That is, until he starts getting the text messages.

**[6:39 PM] Gueira** have you talked about it yet????

 **[6:41 PM] Lio** I’m having a nice dinner. Go away.

 **[6:41 PM] Gueira** tell him now!!! this is ur chance

 **[6:43 PM] Lio** What part of “a nice dinner” do you not understand?

 **[6:44 PM] Gueira** FINE. but i'm messaging you again later to make sure

 **[6:44 PM] Gueira** 7 PM ON THE DOT

Lio huffs, pocketing his phone, but the movement doesn’t escape Galo’s eye.

“Trouble at work?”

“Something like that,” Lio says, wincing. “Meis and Gueira won’t leave me alone. Told them I’m having dinner right now though, so that should buy us some time.”

“Ah, I see.” There’s a lull in the conversation as Galo returns to slurping his noodles. It should be disgusting, but all Lio can think of is how terribly cute Galo looks with stray drops of soup splattered on his mouth.

He places his chopsticks down. Suddenly he isn’t as hungry anymore.

“You done? You didn’t even finish half of it!”

“The soup uses a heavy stock so I’m quite full, thank you.”

Looking away, Lio tries to ignore Galo’s intent stare. He fiddles a bit with his napkin, tries to stop himself from imagining himself reaching over and swiping it over Galo’s lips. It seems like Galo’s found what he was searching for, since he goes back to his food.

 _Ping!_ goes Lio’s phone.

**[7:00 PM] Meis** TALK TO HIM.

Lio is about to reply that, no, Galo is still eating and he isn’t a _brute,_ when the clatter of a porcelain bowl grabs his attention. Galo quickly pays for their meal, gives his compliments to the chef, then clutches Lio’s hand ( _his hands are sweaty_ , Lio notes) and leads him out the door. Now that it’s nighttime, the chill in the air has gone up a notch, and Lio slightly shivers in place. He’s wondering where the best place to have a heartfelt talk would be (a café? The mall? Both options are too public, too visible to other people for Lio’s tastes) when Galo pulls his sweatshirt over his head.

 _Major gay loser_ repeats in Lio’s head as his mouth goes dry from the temporarily visible strip of skin. It stops its incessant ringing when Galo pulls the sweatshirt over Lio instead, helping his arms through the sleeves and combing his hair back into place from where it had ended up sticking out during the exchange.

“Ever the gentleman, I see.” The soup Lio just had seethes in the back of his throat, and he kinda wants to throw up from the nauseating combination of butterflies and nervousness.

Concern glints in Galo’s eyes. “Can we walk for a while? I wanna talk to you.”

Lio forces his soup back down. The back of his throat feels cracked and sore, making his next words come out like a croak. “Sure.”

* * *

Fairy lights strewn on the surrounding trees cast a purple sheen over Galo and Lio as they walk. There’s the familiar hustle and bustle of a crowd, but it’s muted, as if this were a place meant just for them. It would be romantic (another perfect outing for a fifth date), if it weren’t for unease settling itself between them.

Lio’s hand is cold, and he would very much like to warm it up by holding Galo’s. He crushes that thought and pulls the sleeve of Galo’s sweatshirt over his fingertips instead. (It doesn’t work as well, but he’ll make do.)

There’s an awkward atmosphere as they stroll down the pathway, made even more obvious by all the surrounding couples and how Galo seems dead set on looking at everything _but_ Lio. They keep a respectful distance from each other, which is worlds away from how they were before, making the tension even more palpable.

Lio has to breathe slowly and deeply for air to fill his lungs. The silence is foreign, _suffocating_.

It doesn’t seem like Galo will be striking up a conversation anytime soon, so he steels his nerves to start for the both of them. This was his plan all along anyway, he muses, psyching himself up to deal with this. Like ripping off a band aid, so to speak.

“Galo.”

A high pitched _Yes_ escapes Galo. He coughs before continuing, “I mean, yeah?”

 _Rip it off like a band aid_. “The truth is, I’ve been avoiding you this past two weeks. It’s been busy, yes, but that wasn’t all there was to it. I’m sorry.”

“Oh.” Galo deflates, and so does Lio’s heart at the sight. “Was it something I did?”

“No, of course not—”

“Was it ‘cause I was too pushy? I really am sorry, I can back off if it’s making you uncomfortable…”

“No, no, that’s not it—”

“I know I come off too strong sometimes, I promise I’ll do better on our next date.” His next words are laced with misery as Galo appears to realize something. “Wait, do you even want a next date? Is that what this is? We’re going to stop dating?”

“ _No!_ ” Lio’s voice inadvertently comes out louder, startling the both of them. “It’s not like that.”

“Then what _is_ it about, Lio?” says Galo, forlorn. “I really _really_ like you, so I’d like to keep going out with you, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Lio looks up at Galo and sees the stars in his eyes – steadfast, it seemed, and always directed at Lio. This time, it gives him the courage to push out what he needs to say.

“It’s me,” licking his lips, Lio continues, “I’m the problem.”

Horror dawns on Galo’s face. He looks like he’s already assuming the worst-case scenario, so Lio is quick to cut off his thoughts. “I have commitment issues.”

“What?”

They’ve stopped walking so now they’re in the middle of the walkway. Lio gestures to Galo to follow him to a nearby bench that’s hidden enough to avoid prying eyes and ears.

“Do you remember how our last date ended?”

“Yeah…I thought I was going too fast.”

“No, you weren’t. Honestly, I was looking forward to spending the night with you.” His face starts to warm, but luckily for him, Galo doesn’t seem immune either. “But then when it actually came to it, I panicked and bolted.”

“Was—Was it something I did?”

“Trust me when I say that you did nothing wrong.” Lio wrings his hands, “You’ve been nothing short of wonderful and—” he drags a hand over his face, “—this is stupid.”

Lio feels his hand being pulled away, and he allows Galo to cradle it between his own. “It’s not stupid.” He smiles at Lio, and Lio can feel those stupid butterflies acting up again. “Your emotions never will be. Talk to me, Lio. What’s wrong?”

His fist clenches. Galo soothes it apart with his warm fingers, tenderly slipping through the cracks to let it come undone. “God, you’re so—you’re too good to me, you know?”

“You’re making it sound like I _shouldn’t_ be good to you.”

“It’s not something I’m used to,” admits Lio. He isn’t ready to elaborate on his horrible dating history, but… “Meis called my exes shit stains, and he’s right. They weren’t exactly the best, and looking back, I don’t know what I was thinking during all those times I’d compromise. Then I got you, and—”

He chokes on his next words. “This is so dumb, I swear. I finally get someone good and here I am, fucking it up myself. I’m a fucking mess.”

Galo doesn’t say anything as he puts himself back together, which Lio is endlessly thankful for. He just sits there with him, rubbing his thumbs over Lio’s knuckles, until Lio rubs at his cheeks and continues. “You’re a good man, Galo. And it’s hard to explain, but I’m terrified of that. More than anything, I want to treat you right, except I get scared, then it comes out wrong and I end up doing the opposite instead.”

Lio sees Galo fumble a bit with his pockets. Successfully retrieving a handkerchief, he crooks a finger under Lio’s chin and softly wipes at his tears. Satisfied, he places the cloth on Lio’s other hand, then stares at Lio right in the eye. “Can you try to tell me what you’re scared of? I want to help.”

“I dunno…” he trails off. “That you’ll uncover everything about me and find that there’s nothing to stay for. That I’ll—” Fall in love? It’s not that. Not _yet_. “—get too attached, end up dependent and lose myself. When you leave, there’ll be nothing left.”

“Don’t say that.” Galo tucks a lock of hair behind Lio’s ear. “I’m not pursuing you because I want something from you, Lio. I just _like_ you. Getting to spend time with you like this is good enough for me – as a matter of fact, it’s the highlight of my day.”

Lio huffs, even as his vision starts to blur. “Smooth talker.”

“It’s true!” Galo grins. “You know, as I got to know you better, I thought to myself, _Wow, what a whirlwind_. You’re a force to be reckoned with, which sucks for me I guess since you’re exactly my type, but at the same time I’m so lucky?? I’m the one who gets to hold your hand like this?? That’s amazing, and I would never want to take who you are away from you.”

Lio’s outright sobbing now, but Galo just plucks the handkerchief from his hand and wipes the wetness off his cheeks again. “I’m not here to lock you up for safekeeping, Lio. I’d rather be your strength and support you, ‘cause if there’s anything that gets my soul burning more than helping people, it’s seeing you be yourself out there and knowing I’ll always be around to encourage you.”

Galo turns to face him. “Lio Fotia, I want to be in a relationship with you as equals. I want us to build each other up as individuals, rather than depending on each other.”

“Yes,” Lio sniffs. He threads his fingers through Galo’s – a perfect fit. “I want that too.”

The smile Galo gives him in response is so blinding, Lio can’t stand it. He pushes his face into Galo’s chest instead and snuggles closer, finally warm again.

**Author's Note:**

> i stan! communication and a healthy relationship!! remember to always communicate with your partners kids!!


End file.
